Jaya spent Rs 3 crores on foster son's wedding: Court

Chennai, Oct 4: Ex-CM of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalitha had lied about her assets and expenses, said the court in Karnataka. A separate court on Tuesday will hear her appeal against the verdict that truncated her term as the CM.

She has been sentenced to four years of jail for corruption during her first year as the CM of Tamil Nadu.

The trial was shifted to a court in Karnataka to ensure influence-free judgement. The court here stated that Jaya had lied about her assets and expenses and that she had spent Rs 3 crores in her foster son's marriage. However, her lawyer said that the amount was billed to the bride's family.

The expense details were produced by the prosecution as an evidence of the 'earnings' of the politician and collected assets worth Rs 53 crores that were unaccountable in her declared sources of income.

Three of her aides, including her live-in friend Sasikala Natarajan, were also declared guilty. The marriage expenses were related to Mrs Natarajan's nephew VN Sudhakaran which had invited 40,000 guests a team of chefs and elephants brought in from Kerala.

It is said that Jayalalitha had borne the expenses of the guests who were put up at five-star hotels.

Judge John Michael D' Cunha in his order said,"It is established in evidence that huge amount was spent towards the printing of invitations, publication of thanks indailies, 'tamboolam' and valuable presents given to the guests, all of which would certainly entail an expense of more than Rs. three crores even by modest and conservative estimation."

The judge further stated that the VVIP witnesses had testified that the five star hotels that they were put up in were paid by Jayalalitha, which is contradictory to what her lawyer says.